Newcastle United set sights on out-of-favour Barcelona defender

Andreas Christensen's days as a Barcelona player seem to be numbered as a departure is inevitable, according to Fichajes, with Premier League outfit Newcastle United targeting the Denmark international in the upcoming January transfer window as they want to buy him to reinforce their defence for the second half of the season.

Since joining Barcelona as a free agent in 2022, Christensen has struggled to nail down a spot in the Barcelona starting XI, with competition for places as well as his issues with fitness preventing him from gathering any sort of momentum. With the emergence of Pau Cubarsi, the solid displays of Inigo Martinez, and the return of Ronald Araujo from a long-term injury, Christensen's chances of becoming a valuable player for Hansi Flick seem bleak.

As such, both the club and the player would be happy to part ways, with Newcastle aiming to bring the former Chelsea defender back to the Premier League. Eddie Howe, the Magpies head coach, is keen to bring in an experienced defender to compensate for Sven Botman's absence, who suffered an ACL injury against Manchester City in March 2024. He has recovered, though, and is edging closer to a return to first team, having appeared for the U21s on Monday. Still, his return won't be rushed, and signing Christensen gives Howe options in such a sensitive situation.

Christensen's potential move to Tyneside will not only free up some space on the wage bill for the Catalans, but will also allow them to complete the registration of Dani Olmo for the second half of the season. Reports suggest that Olmo’s contract includes a second clause allowing the Spanish international to leave Barcelona for free during the winter transfer window, should the club fail to complete his registration.

Christensen underwent surgery on the tendons in both legs and received cellular regenerative therapy in an effort to resolve his persistent injury issues. Unfortunately, the recovery process has been slower than anticipated, and the 28-year-old is not expected to regain full fitness until at least the end of January. His contract with Barcelona expires in 2026, which means that there'll be a sense of urgency in offloading the player in the upcoming transfer window.